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Tuesday, May 20, 2014

April was a very special month for Zoe the Mastiff as it was the first month that she received her very own Barkbox! Emma began getting Barkbox in February and after two successful months, we decided to add an extra subscription especially for Zoe. Now our family receives the small dog and big dog boxes! This review is for Zoe's Big Dog Barkbox but you can read Emma's Small Dog Barkbox review too!When we received two Barkboxes in the mail, Zoe couldn't contain her smile and pure joy at getting her very own piece of mail. Have you ever seen such a happy face?!?

Zoe's Barkbox included two bags of treats, two toys and a duck chew! Every item was a hit with both her and Emma the Pug.

Petprojekt DogEggBy far, Zoe's favorite item was the DogEgg. It was the first thing she took out of the box and she's been obsessed with the toy for the past month. Even more amazing, the egg has a squeaker inside and it's still squeaking! Zoe is notoriously hard on her toys and most squeakers don't last a day. Way to go, Petprojekt for making a squeaker that lasts!

The DogEgg is great for playing catch and the egg shape makes for some erratic bouncing around the house that just adds to the fun. It's small enough for Zoe to catch in her mouth too!

Even pugs love the DogEgg! Emma likes to steal it from her big sister and play with the toy too!

Pet Qwerks NewspaperWho would have thought that a simple newspaper-themed toy could be so much fun? The trick with this toy is that it has a pouch to hide treats inside and this gives the dogs an added challenge at treat time. We just started using this toy the other day so I'm not sure how well it will hold up yet. My plan is to just give it to the dogs at treat time and put it away during the rest of the day to prolong it's lifespan.

Wagatha's Breakfast BiscuitsEmma loves these apple, banana and oatmeal biscuits. Zoe seems to be undecided. She chomped down her first and second biscuit but when I tried to feed a biscuit to her the following morning, she showed no interest in it. Emma, however, was not shy about helping her sister finish her treat.

Superior Farms Venison WafflesThe dogs love these venison treats! During the past month, they've eaten almost the entire bag. There has never been a moment's hesitation from either pup in accepting this treat and I may have to look for these online to get another bag. These come highly recommended by both Zoe and Emma!

Etta Says Duck ChewI hesitated to give Zoe the duck chew as I'm pretty sure that she's allergic to chicken and I'm not sure if the allergy extends to other forms of poultry. But ultimately I let her give it a try in small doses. I thought it would a little more difficult for her to eat but instead she managed to chomp bites off the end, which is fine, but resulted in me taking it away after just a few minutes. Thankfully, she seems to be fine today and hopefully this means that duck is okay for her to enjoy.

Emma got to sample the duck stick too and thought that it was just as good for small dogs as big dogs.

We've already received Zoe's May Barkbox and will start testing out the new toys and treats soon!Want to save 10% off a new Barkbox subscription? Click this link: https://barkbox.com/r/361DYN7JZOYou can also help Zoe earn a free month by ordering from the link above.

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Phew! It's been a super crazy month around here and we apologize for getting this review posted so late. We actually just received the May Barkbox in the mail and it reminded us that we had yet to post our April review. To make matters more complicated, we started receiving two Barkboxes in April, a small dog box for Emma and a big dog box for Zoe, so we now have two reviews to write each month.

This review is for the small dog Barkbox, which had lots of fun things in it this month that both of the dogs enjoyed.

JW Pet Treat PodThis bone-shaped toy has been a hit with both of the dogs for the past month. At first, I was afraid to let Zoe play with the bone as I thought her strong mastiff jaws would destroy the delicate-looking multi-colored treat pods. However, this toy has proven to be extremely durable and aside from teeth marks on the ends of the bone, is still completely intact. It's always amazing when a toy made for small dogs can hold up to a big dog's level of play too. The blue, green and orange pods separate and treats can be put inside for your dog to figure out how to remove. My dogs seem more interested in chewing on the ends of the toy than finding the treats but are always pleasantly surprised when a treat manages to work itself loose.

On several occasions, Zoe has gotten a hold of the toy and refuses to give it back to Emma, which results in funny moments like the photo below.

Bistro Bites Chicken Liver TreatsI honestly don't have much to say about these treats because I wasn't around when they were eaten. As you can see in the photo below, the dogs ripped open this package on their own and ate every treat while I was out of the house one day. Apparently, they were tasty and I learned the important lesson of making sure that all the treats are out of the dogs' reach when I leave the house.

Etta Says Duck TreatsEmma isn't usually a fan of biscuits but she not only gobbled her biscuit but also helped herself to Zoe's treat. Guess she's a duck girl!

Zoe contemplated trying a treat for awhile and even rolled it around her tongue but ended up spitting it back out. She's finicky about new treats though so we'll try it again and see if she decides that she likes it better.

Mr. Barksmith's Carrot Cake SmoothieThis smoothie treat ended up being the perfect way for my pups to cool down during a recent heat wave in San Diego. I froze the smoothie overnight and let the girls indulge in a cold afternoon treat during the heat of the day. Thankfully, the frozen treat easily cut in two pieces and both of the girls enjoyed licking their frozen treat. Emma left a nice slimy trail with hers across my kitchen floor so I'd recommend trying this treat outdoors, if possible. We live in a third floor apartment so we didn't have much of a choice.

Um...mom? This treat tastes like cardboard! Silly Emma, she didn't want to wait for the treat to be frozen first. She was ready to dive right in!

The girls enjoyed their frozen treats on separate plates to minimize any confusion about whose treat was whose.

Barkworthies Bully StickLike always, the bully stick was a huge hit with Emma. No time to remove the tag...just jump right in and start nomming away!

When I tried to take the stick back to remove the tag, Emma held on tight and a game of tug-o-war began. :)

We're still waiting for Emma's May Barkbox to arrive but we'll try to get that review posted sooner rather than later this month.

If you're interested in ordering a Barkbox for your pups, you can click this link to receive $5 off.